revert back to strong left hand grip???!

[weezy88]

Hi Guys,

Last summer I got my handicap down to my lowest ever (7) and that was with my "natural" strong left hand grip, which I have always had. With this I hit a long draw with every club that was the strength of my game. During the Autumn/ Winter I decided to try get a more neutral grip and become more orthodox to try and eliminate my hook/pull that would creep in (occasionally) ...BIG MISTAKE!!

Now 5 months into a neutral grip I struggle to hit my draw and have lost a load of distance my handicap has crept back to 10 and I feel really uncomfortable during my rounds of golf even when I shoot a half decent round.

My question is should I go back to my natural stronger grip or persevere? I just want to feel comfortable with my game again, get my handicap back down and have my natural shape/shot back!

Any advice would be great

Thanks

 

[simplyme]

It has take me 2 years to find my complete swing since I changed my grip in May 2013. I went from 8 to 12 h'cap and it has been the biggest struggle I have encountered in golf. I had a strong right hand but the same symptoms of yourself, I would say peservre. My ball striking has improved 10 fold and the pro I visited last week was impressed, once you have that neutral grip, not a lot can go wrong!

You have started the process now, so muscle memory will start to play here and your old grip will probably feel very strange too.

Good luck!

 

[bobmac]

The book would say persevere with the neutral grip but I would question that.
You've lost your favourite draw, you've lost distance, your h/cap has gone up by 3 and your just not enjoying your golf anymore.
Go back to your old grip and work out why you occasionally used to hit the pull/hook.

 

[weezy88]

Thanks for your opinions guys. I guess that's 1-1 for the argument haha!

I appreciate what you say about the perseverance, but I think you know with golf if something is too unnatural to work out...e.g kaymer trying to draw the ball failed miserably and went back to his fade and bags another major, I wouldn't mind if i hit one shot in 50 like I used to just to encourage me to keep going but its just not happening. In terms of my old grip feeling unnatural I agree, but I had a play around on the range the other night and within 3 swings of my driver hit one draw over 300, something I just cannot do for the life of me with my neutral grip, I guess I'm answering my own question now!!

Bobmac...Its interesting to hear another pro's opinion as the pro that used to teach me won't let me talk about going back (he encouraged the neutral grip change). I take it your in favour of players embracing natural techniques which aren't text book?? I guess plenty of tour pros out there aren't text book!!

 

[Lump]

Stick with the strong. I tried the same last year, I reverted back late summer and shot some of my best golf ever.
I find I commit to a better transition with the stronger grip as I know I can square the club face no matter how hard I turn.

 

[weezy88]

That's good to hear, yours sounds like a very similar situation to mine, and I totally agree with the transition ive struggled so much keeping my transition smooth and in sync with a neutral grip.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Stick with what worked for you and go back

 

[fundy]

Go back to the strong grip and then work a bit on neutralising the path (making it less in to out) so as you have a bit more control over your natural shape. Its perfectly possibly to have a neutral swing path or just ever so slightly in to out from a strong grip, especially if that grip is natural and hit mainly a controlled draw (with the odd hook for variety lol)

 

[One Planer]

I posted a similar topic a while back.

On the advise of my pro, I moved back towards a more neutral grip and lost my draw.

Found a lovely block, but no draw

I've since moved back to the strong(... Ish) grip and, low and behold, the draw has returned.

 

[weezy88]

Thanks again for everyone's input, I appreciate it as it is making me feel a lot more comfortable and committed to going back to my strong left hand, starting tonight on the range followed by 9 holes looking forward to getting my game back hopefully in time for the height of the season. :thup:

 

[Swinger]

People hold the club a fair few different ways and a stronger left hand is fairly common place and there are a good few even on tour.

I have a pretty strong Left Hand grip and live almost a normal life!

 

[Ethan]

Judge by results. If something works, but isn't pretty, that is better than something which doesn't work but is prettier. There are plenty of Tour players with strong left hand grips.